Shoulder Injury

If you seriously injure your shoulder, it can end your career. They almost always result in significant restrictions. The restrictions then drive the value of the worker’s compensation claim. It is crucial to have a doctor that will support your claim by establishing reasonable restrictions. I will do my best to work with your doctor to make sure this happens. Call me at 208.232.6101. I will answer your questions for free.

Most primary care doctors can spot shoulder injuries easily. If you have a torn your rotator cuff or the labrum in your shoulder, it is going to constantly hurt. If you try to lift anything or reach above your head, your shoulder is really going to become angry with you, and you will experience severe pain. Your primary care doctor will probably send you to an Orthopaedic Surgeon. If your primary care doctor has not already ordered an MRI, the surgeon will do so at your first visit. The MRI scan will show the soft tissue damage in your shoulder so that the surgeon can determine if you need a shoulder surgery. The surgeon will also perform a physical exam when you go to see them to confirm the seriousness of your shoulder injury. If the damage in your shoulder is not too extensive, the shoulder surgeon may give you a cortisone injection into your shoulder to see if this level of treatment can fix your shoulder injury. Most of the time it will not. You will need a shoulder surgery.

The shoulder surgeon will perform the surgery arthroscopically. This helps in the recovery period and allows them to do the surgery in same-day surgical centers.

The recovery period for shoulder surgery is significant. You will not be completely recovered until 6 months after your shoulder surgery. If you have an office type of job, you may be released to return to work within 5 to 6 weeks of your surgery. During the recovery period, your surgeon will send you to physical therapy 2 to 3 times per week. This is so your shoulder does not become frozen and you can build the strength back into your shoulder and increase your shoulder’s range of motion.

While you are off work, you will be paid Total Temporary Disability benefits or wage replacement benefits. Under the Idaho Worker’s Compensation Act, these are calculated at 67% of your average weekly wage subject to a maximum of 90% of the average state weekly wage. These benefits are 100% tax free.

When you are choosing a shoulder surgeon, you need to choose wisely. You need to find a surgeon that is willing to provide testimony as to what caused your shoulder injury. Your surgeon also needs to assign you fair lifting restrictions when you come to maximum medical improvement. Your surgeon also needs to be willing to calculate and give you an impairment rating under the Sixth Edition of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment.

If your surgeon is unable or unwilling offer these opinions, you will have to hire your own expert medical witness to offer these opinions. These types of expert witnesses charge $1,000 to $2,500 to offer these types of opinions.

We know that most injured people do not have the money to hire these expert witnesses. If we take your case, we have the resources to advance these expenses so you don’t have to.

You cannot effectively represent yourself in an Idaho worker’s compensation claim. You need a guide. Fred J. Lewis is an experienced Idaho worker’s compensation lawyer with decades of experience successfully handling hundreds of shoulder injury claims. Big or small, we will be your guide.

Call us today at 208.232.6101.